Star Wars: Imperium
by Fainmaca
Summary: Something stirs in the Unknown Regions, its growing power threatening both the Republic and the Empire, and possibly the very Galaxy. Only the most influential and resourceful of the Galaxy's heroes can even hope to oppose this new threat.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Notes: Hey Everyone! Been cooking this one up for a while. Don't want to spoil too much about what I've got planned for this story, but you can basically expect all of the Old Republic classes to play a part in this fic. Hope you like it, and let me know what you think in the comments below!_

 _Star Wars and all related trademarks belong to Disney. The Old Republic is a Bioware production published by EA._

 **Star Wars: Imperium**

 **Chapter 1**

Her name was the _Charyys_ , an ancient Sith word whose meaning had long been lost to all but a select few. The starship's sleek form was reminiscent of an enormous raptor, graceful, swift, hungry as she swooped down through the dark sky. She darted down with startling agility, skimming the rocky surface of Malachor Five. A trail of dust whipped up in her wake, mingling with the strange gas emanations that were a near constant feature of the debris field that had once been a planet, and threatened to be once more.

Almost three centuries ago, when the war between the rampaging Mandalorian clans and the Jedi-led Republic was reaching a fever pitch, the wretched planet had served as the battlefield for a devastating final conflict in which a dreadful weapon, the Mass Shadow Generator, was activated, tearing entire fleets from the sky and devastating armies, but causing the very planet to crumble beneath its wrath, leaving it a smoking ruin of blackened rock and noxious fumes. And yet, in spite of facing such an atrocity, the planet remained, held together by either gravity, ancient technology, or perhaps something more sinister. Decades later, a second activation of the weapon shattered the husk of a world, and yet it was once again reforming, rocks, shattered starships and the ash of countless bodies congealing around a central point, a renewed gravitational field formed by the sheer mass of debris. An average scientist would have been quick to explain that it was a natural process, where the mass of larger objects drew in smaller ones until finally they gained enough mass to be considered an asteroid, then a planetoid, then finally a full planet in its own right, but one versed in the ways of the Force would have discerned a different truth. At its heart, the ancient world seethed with the power of the Dark Side, raw and untamed. Such a nexus of primal energy could not be so easily destroyed. It was for just such a reason that the owner of the _Charyys_ had set a course for the desolate ruins.

The starship swerved into a narrow gully, it's drive glow burning brightly as it cast eerie shadows on the bare rocks around it. In one moment, it was surrounded by jagged rocks, in the next, sheets of metal from starship hulls, and in another neatly cut stones from a building more ancient than any civilisation known to the Galaxy. Finally, the _Charyys_ burst out to hover over a largely flat plain of glassy stone, its smooth texture created by unimaginable heat. A relic of the activation of the Mass Shadow Generator, perhaps. Or maybe a shard of crystalline minerals from the molten heart of the planet, exposed to raw vacuum in its devastation. Regardless, it offered as promising a landing zone as anywhere else on the planet. With a deft spin, the starship touched down gently.

Almost immediately, the boarding ramp descended from the belly of the vessel, allowing a shadowy figure to descend. Clad in black robes that hid a lean, wiry frame and armour whose protective values would catch any unsuspecting assailants off-guard, the figure wore an imposing mask, resembling a metal skull with deep, terrifyingly empty eye sockets. At his side, a lightsaber dangled freely from his belt, double-bladed, the scarlet crystals set in its emitters sparkling with an otherworldly glow that came from no technological source. The weapon's hilt had a slight curve to it, a snakelike weave that angled the blades in odd directions, making it difficult for an opponent to predict their precise movements. The leather that bound the weapon was as black as the dark rock of the planet that surrounded its owner, and unmarked in any way. Where some Sith boasted of their victories by etching their kills into the hilts of their weapons, this Dark Lord, for that is what he was, had no need of such frivolities. He was fully aware of every victory he had won, of every life he had ended, of every atrocity he had wrought upon an unsuspecting Galaxy. He had not earned his seat upon the Dark Council through brute force or uncontrolled savagery, but rather with guile, intelligence, and malicious deception, until at last his name was one not spoken throughout the Empire, but rather whispered in dread.

A slim figure strode down the ramp behind him, a Togruta clad in similar robes. At her side, a Kaleesh also stood at the ready, following her gaze towards the Dark Lord. These were just two of his many disciples, his most favoured students. The Kaleesh, a former slave of unmatched savagery by the name of Xalek, had risen by the Dark Lord's side to a position of power within the Empire, apprentice to the master of all Sith knowledge. The Togruta, Ashara Zavros, was a young Jedi padawan who clung to her Jedi beliefs in spite of her service to the Dark Lord, constantly challenged by the conflicts she had been shown between what the Jedi taught and what the wider Galaxy had actually shown her. Both were loyal to the Sith before them, even as their separate agendas shaped every action they took in his behalf.

"My lord..." Ashara was the first to speak, her voice muffled somewhat by the breathing mask she wore. What little atmosphere had gathered on the planet's surface was highly toxic. "Is this wise? The power I sense beneath the surface... The Force is not just dark here. It's... almost sick, if that's possible. In all my studies of the Force... I have never felt decay such as this. It pulls at the mind, corrupts the heart. It's almost as if the Force itself were dying."

"That is why I must come here." The Sith Lord's voice was calm, almost serene. But beneath, a vital energy pulsed, like the muscles of a powerful predator flexing under a languid exterior. "What happened here changed the Force around it, mutated it, if you will. What I seek to attempt... no Force user has ever even dreamed of such a feat. To even hope to succeed, I must be in a place where the boundaries between the Living Force and the physical world are at their thinnest. Only then may I pierce the veil and venture beyond."

"Then allow me to come with you, my master." Xalek growled, eyes darting about hungrily. "To roam such a world, to feed off such darkness..."

"Would leave your mind altered and your will erased." The Sith Lord interjected. "You are not ready to face the truth of this place, my apprentice. Already I can sense the barriers around your minds eroding, as are the ones Ashara placed within the minds of the others. You must leave, now, before you are corrupted beyond any use to me. Perhaps one day you shall be as powerful as I, and then you may face the rot of Malachor, but that time has not yet arrived."

"As you wish, my master." The alien replied slowly, finally turning to ascend the ramp.

Ashara lingered a moment longer, hesitant to leave the Sith alone in the wastes. Finally, she bowed her head, turning to leave.

The Sith Lord strode out onto the surface of Malachor, closing his eyes as he reached out with his other senses to experience the bleak world around him. A quick rumble from the _Charyys_ warned him of its departure, and then he was alone. He took a deep breath, the metallic, recycled taste of the air in his mask coating the back of his throat. With a sigh, he reached up, removing the mask.

The middle-aged Human's eyes prickled at the sensation of the harsh atmosphere, sharp chemicals catching in his mouth. Most people would have been rendered helpless in seconds, butte Force was strong with the Kallig bloodline. With barely any concentration, the Sith Lord neutralised the poison in the air as it entered his system, bolstering his body to survive the hostile conditions. Where the strongest of men would have perished in moments, the Dark Lord barely paused to take a breath. The Force was his servant, and a powerful one it proved to be.

Five faint shimmers appeared in the air beside him, resolving themselves into five in distinct figures. Two Humans, a Togruta, a Voss and an ancient, red-skinned Sith, the strange collection glowed faintly with an ethereal blue light, at the same time present and not. The Sith, always the most powerful personality in the group, stepped close to the Sith Lord.

"This place... there have been few like it in the history of the Galaxy." Horak-Mul breathed, his voice echoing on the wind. "Countless lives met their end here, all at once and in tremendous agony. What I wouldn't give to have been witness to the devastation of this world!"

"I was here." The Togruta, Kalatosh, offered up. "Not on the ground, but I was in Revan's fleet. When the world cracked open, and all those lives blinked out in a flash, the Force rippled with such immense power. I saw the ending of the universe in that one moment, and it was beautiful."

"Such devastation, and all at the hands of a so-called 'defender of the Republic'." One of the Human apparitions, Lord Andru, commented. "One could hardly credit such an act to a Jedi, of all people."

Kalatosh, himself a former Jedi, bristled at the comment, but kept silent. Instead, all of the apparitions turned to Kallig as he knelt to brush at the stone beneath his feet, feral yellow eyes creasing with curiosity as his fingertips slid across the smooth, glass-like surface. A jagged shard caught the tip of one finger, drawing forth a bead of blood that swelled before dropping free, splattering onto the crystal. The ghostly Force users watched him carefully, silently. At last, Horak-Mul crouched by him, watching the younger Sith's face.

"What do you sense?"

Kallig reached out, tendrils of his power seeping across the landscape as he watched through eyes that didn't see, listened through ears that couldn't hear, and explored with fingers that wouldn't feel. To see with the Force was to see everything and yet nothing, to be aware on a plane of existence that so far exceeded the normal realm as to be outside any frame of reference. The black rocks shone with the light of pain, crackling with the roar of fear, the stench of anger rising thickly from the fissures deep within them. The air was thick, cloying, noxious, burdened with hunger and desire. The final, desperate thoughts of those who had died in that place so long ago still tore their way through the world, the agony of crushed limbs, the desperation of scrambling hands, the failing courage of a broken will. To a lesser mind, such a cacophony of raw, deafening emotions would have been impossible to bear, inviting madness. But to Kallig, one who had tasted the insanity of Belsavis, braved the wrath of Sith Lords and tamed the power of the dead to his will, this world was enthralling.

"I feel... the last moments of the great battle, when the Mandalorians saw their doom, but could do nothing to stop it. The Republic warriors who realised the treachery of their leader, and could only fight on in the face of it. The Jedi who felt the Force ripped away from them, never to return as they blinked out of existence. So much life taken, and yet not returning to the Living Force, instead just... ceasing to be.

"I see an Academy, rising up from the ruins. Countless students taken here, their minds broken until they know nothing but insanity. Three bastions of darkness leading them, until treachery left only two, a wild beast whose pain kept him from ever knowing death, and a void into which everything would spill, never satisfying his hunger.

"And I hear... I hear..."

The apparitions tensed as the Sith Lord tilted his head quizzically.

"What is it?" One of the Humans, Lord Ergast, asked.

"I hear the voice of this world." Kallig breathed. "It writhes in agony, tormented without end. It's heart is a singularity into which the Force is pulled, like a black hole. The life of the Galaxy flows from this rift, and eventually it will all be gone, and the world rejoices at this knowledge. It is filled with glee at the thought of the ending of everything, of the death of the Force. It- the entire planet has fallen into insanity, and it hungers to spread its suffering to others."

"Incredible." Andru gazed around in wonder. "An entire planet driven mad. Truly the Force must be warped here."

"Which makes it perfect." Kallig said, straightening up.

With renewed purpose, the Sith Lord set off across the dark landscape, searching for his ultimate prize- the ruins of the Trayus Academy and the final resting place of the Dark Lady of Betrayal.

 _AN: So there you have it, the first chapter in a planned novel-length story in the Star Wars universe. Let me know what you think, and please leave a favourite and a review if you enjoyed this. For more story updates and other gaming-related stuff, find me on Twitter, FaceBook and YouTube. I'm pretty easy to find, just look for Fainmaca!_

 _Fainmaca Out._


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Notes: I'm back! At least, for a while, anyway. Apologies for the hiatus._

 _Star Wars and all related trademarks belong to Disney. The Old Republic is a Bioware production published by EA_

 **Star Wars: Imperium**

 **Chapter 2**

A sickening crunch from underneath Kallig's boot broke his reverie, the Sith Lord looking down to see a crystalline shard crumbling under his heel. He knelt in the dust, brushing at the razor-sharp fragments with a tentative gloved finger. The black-hued crystal looked fairly out of place amidst the remains of a sundered starship, scraps of metal reaching out towards the horizon, shadowed talons looking to grasp the sky. Curious, Kallig picked up a fragment.

The vision struck him with brutal force, driving the air from his lungs in one fell gasp, his vision clouded, blood pounding through his veins as his mind flooded with a torrent of emotions, words, images and sensations, all at once. The world around him faded into the background, turning a muted grey colour as all the noise of the real world dulled. even the chill winds howling around him became a faint buzz in the back of his consciousness. No stranger to visions of this kind, Kallig gave himself over to it.

 **~o~0~o~**

 _The tight helmet pinched at her head, a sensation she was unused to. Consoles exploded around her, showers of sparks and gouts of flame filling the corridor as she bolted towards the bridge. White-armoured Republic soldiers pushed past her, frantically running for the escape pods, but she knew that was a futile task. There was no escaping what lay ahead,_

 _The bulkhead leading to the bridge was jammed open, the corridor around it twisted enough to warp the doorframe. She walked through, freezing mid-step as she caught sight of what was visible beyond the primary viewport._

 _The entire planet of Malachor V was dying, there was no mistaking it. Seas that had once gleamed blue now boiled white hot as the atmosphere burned away with resonant ire. Green grasslands blackened and died in moments, monumental fissures tearing apart entire continents to reveal the world's beating heart. As she looked on, the equatorial desert that girdled the planet glowed brighter and brighter, then flashed like a dying star before something gave and the entire region exploded, launching white-hot sand, glowing boulders and masses of magma out of the atmosphere and into space. All the while, the horrifying vision drew closer and closer, the ship accelerating towards the planet._

 _"Engage the hyperdrive!" The ship's Commander, a war-weary Mon Calamari, bellowed to his bridge crew. "We need to overcome the gravitational pull somehow!"_

 _"It's no use, sir." The helmsman replied. "Hyperdrive is non-functional."_

 _"Hull breaches on decks three through forty-eight." Another crewman droned, the shock and fear in his mind having broken his will. His fingers moved across his console slowly, woodenly, no conscious thought behind any of it as tears and sweat rolled down his face. "Oxygen systems offline, fuel lines ruptured. Casualties at twenty-eight per cent."_

 _"Escape pods on deck fifteen have all been deployed." The first mate spoke out over the cacophony of the dying vessel. "Transponders report negative ignitions across the board."_

 _The Commander and his second-in-command both turned to the viewport, able to catch a brief glimpse of a series of white flares that were the escape pods, ripped out of the sky and hurled down towards the dying world._

 _She closed her eyes, grimacing as the sensation of countless deaths surrounded her, the turbulent eddies of thousands of panicked souls meeting their end all at once almost drowning her sanity. With shaking hands, she drew her lightsaber, lifting it before her face. Set into the hilt, the crystal that gave the weapon it's violet blade vibrated wildly. She focused on the gemstone, remembering its origin, remembering the day Danos gave it to her, an heirloom of his family, a gift for her to remember him and the time they had spent together by. A shimmer of warmth pierced her soul, the comforting memories strengthening her mind._

 _She took a breath, strengthening her connection to the Force. She was ready to become one with the Living Force, to find peace and accept her fate. Drawing upon the reserves of her power she reached out to the rest of the crew, touching each and every one of their terrified minds, sending out waves of calming energy to help them, like her, to find peace in their fate._

 _Like ripples in a pool, the aura of peace flowed from the young Jedi, the crew around her slowing their pace and turning their thoughts inwards, to family and home, to loved ones and treasured memories._

 _She was about to allow herself a sigh of relief when a sudden feeling of wrongness washed over her. She opened her eyes, turning her gaze back to the planet ahead._

 _Malachor was changing. The water was all gone, the last wisps of atmosphere stripping away as she watched. In their place, nothing but blackened rock remained. The flaming wreckage of countless ships tumbling to the ground lit up the dark world as it writhed violently. Glowing magma shone from dozens of gaping chasms, but something else was happening. Ethereal green light glimmered across the surface of the world as more and more cracks appeared. As she looked on, a massive mountain range splintered into hundreds of pieces, more of the sickly green glow shining forth from its heart. a flare of green flame burst forth from a flat plain, engulfing a squadron of Republic frigates and instantly incinerating them._

 _As she looked on in horror, she felt a tremor in the Force. Neither light nor dark in nature, the disturbance was like nothing she had ever experienced. Then, with no warning, her connection to the Force shattered. She felt the power ripped away from her, an unseen, intangible wind tearing through her soul. She felt a scream tear through her heart, uncertain whether it was only in her mind or if it was tearing loose from her throat. In a blink, all of the lives around her became invisible to her mind, leaving her alone within the confines of her skull._

 _The young Jedi fell to her knees, clutching at her head. Around her, the rest of the crew all began writhing in agony, their minds wracked with a pain they could not understand, some descending into inane gibbering, others falling prey to unstoppable weeping, still others pawing at their skin with such fervour that they risked injuring themselves._

 _Looking about in terror as her comrades fell to the sundering, the Jedi clutched at her lightsaber once more, trying to find her centre. She looked to the gem again, trying to bring to mind Danos and his heart-warming presence, but to her horror the luminous violet glow of the crystal faded before her eyes, replaced with a blackness that flowed throughout the gem like smoke. In that moment, she realised what was happening. The planet was dying, sundered from the Force. It would pull the entire fleet into itself to try and feed the void at its core, and in doing so it would sever them all from the Living Force. When they died, their essence would not be allowed to pass on, instead simply ceasing to be._

 _With this revelation, the young Jedi suddenly knew what needed to be done. The crew couldn't be lost to the Force. She wouldn't allow that. She needed to take action, before they crashed down on Malachor's surface and were lost forever._

 _Her grip shifted on the lightsaber, fingers curling with different purpose. The blade roared to life, sputtering with uncertain energy. The violet hue of the weapon shone bright in her eyes, then burst in a bright flash, a bloody red tide washing across the energy blade. Red mist descended, courted by the screams of betrayal._

 **~o~0~o~**

Kallig awoke from the vision with a start, his lungs bursting for air. The remorse, fear and fury that washed over him, remnants of the vision's creator, sent his mind spinning into panic. He spun, trying to flee the place, but his feet and legs twisted under him, tripping the Sith Lord. He caught himself just before he hit the dust, a single gloved hand clanging down on a metal plate with a thunderous crack that made the landscape for miles around shiver.

It took a few moments for the Dark Lord to centre himself, reaffirming his own identity over that of the Jedi whose body he had slipped into. He stayed crouched on one knee for a minute or two more, breathing deeply and forcing his body to calm, his pulse slowing as his breaths deepened.

 _"Through the Force, the Sith seek Freedom. The Jedi, Serenity. Both feed from it to sustain their entire nature. But what becomes of them when their connection is taken away? What monsters are revealed within?"_

The voice was faint, ghostly, and when Kallig looked around to find the source, he could see nothing more than swirling dust clouds and skittering shadows.

 _"You search with blinded eyes. Power has become your downfall. What will you become once this husk of a world steals everything from you?"_

Kallig spun as the voice drifted by his spine, whispering almost directly into his ear. His lightsaber leapt from his belt to his waiting hand, a sleek crimson blade cutting through the darkness. As he swung the weapon, all that greeted him was the gleeful chuckle of an unseen foe.

Carefully, the Dark Lord replaced his blade at his hip, eyes narrowing behind his mask as he tried to peer into the shadows. A tiny flicker of movement at the corner of his vision caught his attention, but vanished when he looked directly at it. He realised he was accomplishing nothing by jumping at ghosts, and tried to centre himself, calling upon the Force. Then, as if a light had been turned on, a veil pulled back, a great mystery revealed. the way shone out within his mind, a trail of emotion, thought and pain venturing deep into the ruined landscape ahead of him. Without a moment's hesitation, he took a step down the path.

A wave of power rolled over him, pushing back against the Sith Lord. He felt his will taxed by the resistance, an unseen presence fighting him on the deepest, most fundamental levels of his consciousness. Regardless, he pushed on, taking another step, and the power resisting him grew stronger. Grinding his teeth together, Kallig summoned the strength to take another step, then another, trudging off into the darkness.

Behind him, in the wreckage of the former Republic frigate, a host of shadowed figures appeared in the murk, indistinct shapes barely visible as the dust swirled around them. the leading figure looked out from beneath a deep, black hood, glowing white eyes shining as she watched the Sith Lord stride onwards. No other features could be seen, but an aura of equal parts malice and amusement ebbed out from that hidden visage. Then, with a faint gust of wind, the shapes vanished.

 _Author's Notes: And with those few words, I return! Hey guys, sorry for the long absence. Life problems. Anyway, here's another chapter to Imperium, which I can hopefully keep going. Let me know what you think!_

 _I'd also appreciate it if you could check out my new YouTube channel (Channel name is Fainmaca, of course!), where I've uploaded a bunch of gameplay videos, including some Dragon Age and The Old Republic videos, and a few Vlogs talking about the new Star Wars movie! Please check it out, share it with friends, and help me to get this whole online persona off the ground!_

 _In the meantime, I'll get back to writing some ITU now, hope to have it ready to publish in time for the 29th of this month (the 5-year anniversary of me starting writing on this site!). Until then, see you guys later!_

 _Fainmaca Out._


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